Means for high speed trimming of soap extrusions

ABSTRACT

A wire trimmer assembly for a soap plodder for improving high speed trimming of soap extrusions to obtain improved surface finish for soap. The soap plodder includes a housing having an outlet through which a mass of soap is extruded. The assembly includes a nozzle plate for shaping the mass of soap, a nozzle plate holder, and a wire cutting head. Fastening members detachably secure the wire cutting head to the nozzle plate holder which in turn is detachably secured to the housing with the nozzle plate inwardly of the wire cutting head.

United States Patent [19] Fischer [4 1 Dec. 24, 1974 MEANS FOR HIGHSPEED TRIMMING OF SOAP EXTRUSIONS [75] Inventor: Charles F. Fischer,Jersey City, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company, New

York, NY.

22 Filed: Nov. 24, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 308,954

[52] US. Cl 425/308, 83/4253, 83/651.1,

264/146, 264/148, 264/157, 425/461 [51] Int. Cl. B28b 11/16, B29c 17/10[58] Field of Search 264/145, 146, 148, 150,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,346,393 4/1944 Render83/651.1 2,373,593 4/1945 Pease 25/8 2,414,097 1/1947 Garvey et al264/176 R 2,642,620 6/1953 Vogt 264/157 2,713,188 Garvey 425/3783,411,178 11/1968 Szentivanszky et al 425/461 3,485,905 12/1969 Compa etal. 264/75 3,784,533 1/1974 Mach 264/146 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS95,947 2/1924 Austria l/ Primary Examiner-Jeffery R. Thurlow Attorney,Agent, or FirmHerbert S. Sylvester, Esq.; Murray M. Grill, Esq.; KennethA. Koch, Esq.

[57] ABSTRACT 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures MEANS FOR HIGH SPEED TRIMMINGOF SOAP EXTRUSIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionThis invention relates to an apparatus for processing soap. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a highspeed wire trimmer assemblyfor high-speed trimming of soap extrusions, especially those of striatedbar soap to obtain an improved surface finish on fresh cut extru- SlOnS.

2. Description of the Prior Art In applicant's previous patent, US. Pat.No. 3,541,652, issued Nov. 24, 1970 for Soap and Detergent Plodder,there is disclosed a soap plodder of the type on which the wire trimmingassembly according to the present invention is adapted to be employed.

The plodding of soap is a well known manufacturing process and generallyincludes subjecting soap to a series of extrusion or plasticationoperations. Soap is fed to a continuous screw or worm revolving within aclosed cylinder where it undergoes levigation and is then forced througha screen which converts the mass of soap into filaments or fine ribbons.Filaments of soap drop by gravity into a vacuum chamber enclosing asecond rotating screw or worm serving to compress and compact the massof soap and force it through a nozzle or orifice as a continuous bar.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide for attaching wiretrimming means directly to the soap plodder housing such as is disclosedin the Austrian Patent No. 95,947. However, when soap is directlyextruded from the housing against the wire trimming means, not only is alarge amount of the soap mass cut off and either wasted or subjected toadditional treatment, but it has been found that high-speed finishing ofbar extrusions is not possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes thedisadvantages of the prior wire cutting devices by providing for a wiretrimmer assembly wherein a nozzle plate is detachably held inwardly of awire cutting head for preliminarily shaping the bar extrustions so thatvery little soap is cut off all-owing for high-speed trimming and forallowing careful adjustment of each wire to provide for onstream sizingof the shaped extrusions into exact width and thickness to attain afinished bar having a polished surface requiring only a cutting step toprovide a completed cake of soap.

The concept of this invention features the use of a nozzle plate holderhaving bayonet locking means for quickly detachably securing theassembly to the plodder housing. The wire cutting head is detachablysecured to the nozzle plate holder with a nozzle plate for preliminarilyshaping the soap mass positioned inwardly of the wire cutting head.Means are provided for electrifying the wires to provide heat to speedtrimming.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a wire trimmer assembly that is simple in construction,compact so as to permit for highspeed operation. and which serves totrim and tinish bar extrusions in a high-speed manner.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of thepresent invention, which will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds, are attained by this means for high-speed trimmingof soap extrusion preferred embodiments of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough a portion of a plodder housing illustrating an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the various parts of the wiretrimmer assembly;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to FIG. 1, illustratinga modified arrangement of parts; and,

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the wire trimmer assemblyshown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With continuing reference tothe accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals designatesimilar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 20 is usedto generally designate a plodder housing in which a mass of soap islevigated and then extruded. The housing 20 terminates in an outlet 22which is counterbored at 24.

A nozzle plate holder 26 is provided with L-shaped bayonet-type slots 28therein for engagement by pins 30 carried by mounting bars 32 and 34 onthe housing 20. Handle means 36 may be provided for convenientlymanipulating the nozzle plate holder 26 and the nozzle plate holder 26is provided with a bore 38 therethrough. The nozzle plate holder 26includes a peripheral flange 40 which extends inwardly of the frontsurface 42 thereof.

A nozzle plate 44 is provided which includes a barrel portion 46 whichfits within the bore 38 and a flange portion 48 which lies flush againstthe outer face 42 of the nozzle plate holder 26, with the flange portion44 being of greater diameter than the bore 38. The barrel portion 46 andthe flange 48 have an inner configuration forming a die 50 which may bepreferably rectangular or of any other suitable configuration forpreforming and closely shaping the mass of soap being extruded.

A wire cutting head 52 is provided and includes a base plate 54 threadedas at 58 for mounting on the outside face 42 of the nozzle plate holder26 which has threaded holes 60 for receiving threaded members 62 orfasteners. The wire cutting head has an inside counterbore 64 forreceiving the flange 48 of the nozzle plate 44. On the outer face of thewire cutting head 52 is mounted four pairs 66 of slide attachments forrigid loop and hook mounting with micro adjustment of four individualcutting wires 68, which are preferably arranged two vertically and twohorizontally. The individual micro adjustment of each wire 68 providesonstream sizing tothe final size of width and thickness of the finishedbar and provides for a smooth high-speed cut on the extrusion. Hightensile strength wire is used in a wire gauge range of 0.010 inches to0.015 inches. The mass of soap has a moisture range of from eight to tenpercent.

Because the nozzle plate is received in the bore 38 and in thecounterbore 64, the entire wire trimmer assembly is very compact andeasily manipulated and the speed of extrusion and cutting is increased.

An alternative arrangement is shown in F lGS. 3 and 4 wherein a nozzleplate 70 having a barrel 72 and a flange 74 is provided. The flange 74is seated in the counterbore 24 of the housing with the barrel extendinginto the bore 38 of the nozzle plate holder 26. In this form of theinvention the wire cutting head 52 is not provided with the counterbore64.

In either form of the invention, the finished bars are achieved bycutting the finished extrusion transversely to form finished bars.

The slide attachment 66 may be made of electrically and thermallyinsulative material and connected thereto are the respective pairs ofwires 68. Electrical conductors 69 are connected to the terminals of asuitable source of electrical power so that the pairs of wires 68 arespaced from each other and are electrically charged. Heating the wireswill serve to enable the wires to cut the soap faster and better smooth,and glaze finish the extrusion.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change is intended in theforegoing disclosure, and in some instances some features of theinvention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

l. A wire trimmer assembly for a soap plodder including a housing forlevigating and homogenizing a mass of soap, said housing terminating inan outlet for roughly extruding said mass of soap, said assemblycomprising a nozzle plate holder detachably secured to said housingoutwardly of said outlet, a nozzle plate overlying said nozzle plateholder and downstream of said outlet for closely shaping said mass, awire cutting head outwardly and downstream of said nozzle plate, saidnozzle plate holder having a bore therethrough said nozzle plate havinga barrel portion seating in said bore and a flange portion of largerdiameter than said bore between said nozzle plate holder and said wirecutting head, said nozzle plate having a rectangular die openingtherein, and means for securing said wire cutting head to said nozzleplate holding said nozzle plate therebetween.

2. A wire trimmer assembly for a soap plodder including a housing forlevigating and homogenizing a mass of soap, said housing terminating inan outlet for roughly extruding said mass of soap, said assemblycomprising a nozzle plate downstream of said outlet for closely shapingsaid mass of soap, a nozzle plate holder, a wire cutting head downstreamof said nozzle plate, fastening means for detachably securing said wirecutting head to said nozzle plate holder, said nozzle plate holderhaving a bore therethrough, said nozzle plate having a barrel portionseating in said bore, said nozzle plate having a rectangular die openingtherein, and bayonet means for detachably securing said nozzle plateholder to said housing with said nozzle plate being inwardly of saidwire cutting head.

3. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim 2, wherein said fasteningmeans comprises threaded members extending through said wire cuttinghead and threadedly engaging said nozzle plate holder.

4. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim 1, wherein said wirecutting head has a recess for receiving at least a portion of saidflange.

5. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim 2, wherein said housinghas a recess therein for at least partially receiving said flange.

6. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim 1, including means forconnecting said wire cutting head to a source of electrical power, saidwire cutting head including spaced pairs of oppositely charged wires.

7. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim 5, wherein said wirecutting head includes spaced pairs of oppositely charged wires, andmeans for connecting said wires to a source of electrical power.

l l =l =l

1. A wire trimmer assembly for a soap plodder including a housing forlevigating and homogenizing a mass of soap, said housing terminating inan outlet for roughly extruding said mass of soap, said assemblycomprising a nozzle plate holder detachably secured to said housingoutwardly of said outlet, a nozzle plate overlying said nozzle plateholder and downstream of said outlet for closely shaping said mass, awire cutting head outwardly and downstream of said nozzle plate, saidnozzle plate holder having a bore therethrough said nozzle plate havinga barrel portion seating in said bore and a flange portion of largerdiameter than said bore between said nozzle plate holder and said wirecutting head, said nozzle plate having a rectangular die openingtherein, and means for securing said wire cutting head to said nozzleplate holding said nozzle plate therebetween.
 3. A wire trimmer assemblyaccording to claim 2, wherein said fastening means comprises threadedmembers extending through said wire cutting head and threadedly engagingsaid nozzle plate holder.
 4. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim1, wherein said wire cutting head has a recess for receiving at least aportion of said flange.
 5. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim 2,wherein said housing has a recess therein for at least partiallyreceiving said flange.
 6. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim 1,including means for connecting said wire cutting head to a source ofelectrical power, said wire cutting head including spaced pairs ofoppositely charged wires.
 7. A wire trimmer assembly according to claim5, wherein said wire cutting head includes spaced pairs of oppositelycharged wires, and means for connecting said wires to a source ofelectrical power.